Balloon catheter systems for delivery of dry drug delivery vesicles to a vessel in the body

ABSTRACT

Devices and methods for balloon delivery of rapamycin and other hydrophobic compounds to the wall of blood vessels. Balloon catheters, such as those used for balloon angioplasty, are modified with the addition of a reservoir of dry micelles, disposed at a suitable location within the balloon or catheter. The reservoir may be installed within the angioplasty balloon, within a lumen in communication with the angioplasty balloon, either as a loose or packed powder or as a film coating. The micelle preparation is reconstituted and the micelles are mobilized when the aqueous solution used to inflate the balloons is injected into the catheter. The micelles are infused into tissue surrounding the balloon when pressurized fluid within the balloon leaks through the wall of the balloon.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/247,057, filed Apr. 7, 2014, pending, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/982,760, filed Dec. 30, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,696,644, and a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/855,653, filed Apr. 2, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,715,230, both of which claim priority to Provisional Patent Application 61/291,345 filed Dec. 30, 2009.

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS

The inventions described below relate to the field of treatment of vascular disease, and more specifically to the field of drug eluting balloons for the treatment of restenosis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS

In the field of vascular disease, restenosis refers to the re-growth of tissue within a blood vessel which as been treated with angioplasty or stent placement, such that the blood vessel becomes occluded shortly after pre-existing blockages are cleared. Whether blood vessels are treated with angioplasty alone, bare metal stents or drug eluting stents, restenosis is likely. To combat restenosis, various compounds have been applied to treated blood vessel walls at the time of initial treatment. These compounds includes rapamycin and paclitaxel and various derivatives of these compounds. Typically, these compounds are delivered to the blood vessel wall through balloons or through a drug-eluting compound on the stent. Drug-eluting stents appear to forestall restenosis, and late term thrombosis is a significant complication of drug eluting stents which must eventually be treated, perhaps with balloon delivery of additionally therapeutic agent. Balloon delivery through various mechanisms has been proposed, including (1) coating balloons with a therapeutic compound and then inflating them within a lesion to press the therapeutic compound into contact with the surrounding blood vessel wall and (2) passing a therapeutic compound through the porous wall of a balloon while the balloon is inflated within the lesion in order to infuse the therapeutic compound into the blood vessel wall. For compounds such as paclitaxel, these techniques appear useful at least to the extent that clinical experimentation is warranted. However, due to inherent properties of rapamycin and its analogs or derivatives, e.g. hydrophobicity, direct delivery of these drugs from amorphous or crystalline coatings on the surface of an angioplasty balloon is inefficient.

SUMMARY

The devices and methods described below provide for effective balloon delivery of rapamycin and other hydrophobic compounds to the wall of blood vessels. Balloon catheters, such as those used for balloon angioplasty, are modified with the addition of a mass of dry micelles, disposed at a suitable location within the balloon or catheter. Immediately prior to use, or during use, the mass of dry micelles is reconstituted with the addition of an aqueous solution into the catheter. The balloon is then pressurized and the reconstituted micelles are forced out of the balloon through a porous wall of the balloon. The dry micelle reservoir may be a powdered lyophilized micelle reservoir or a film, and it can be installed in the balloon catheter during manufacture of the balloon or after manufacture. The reservoir may be installed within the angioplasty balloon, or within a lumen in communication with the angioplasty balloon, or in a storage chamber at the proximal end of the catheter, either as a loose or packed powder or as a film coating. In addition, the dry micelles may be suspended in hydrogel or other stabilized non-aqueous media. The dry micelles are reconstituted and mobilized when wetted by injecting an aqueous solution into the catheter, either during the process of preparing the balloon catheter for use, or during actual use. The micelles are infused into tissue surrounding the balloon when pressurized fluid within the balloon leaks through the wall of the balloon. In a more basic embodiment, a balloon catheter can be provided with a coating of micelles, in dry, reconstituted or original form on the outer surface of a porous balloon wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a double-walled balloon catheter with a reservoir of dry micelles.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a method of operating the balloon catheter of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a method of operating the balloon catheter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates a double-walled balloon catheter with the reservoir of dry micelles, in which both the inner and outer balloons are porous balloons.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a balloon catheter system in which a reservoir of micelles is disposed within a balloon inflation lumen.

FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 13 illustrate a balloon catheter system with a proximally located micelle reservoir.

FIG. 14 illustrates an alternative method of wetting the dry micelle formulation in the system of FIGS. 10 through 13.

FIG. 15 illustrates a balloon catheter system in which the reservoir of micelles is disposed within a proximal storage chamber within the catheter handle.

FIG. 16 illustrates the system of FIGS. 10 through 13 modified by placement of the micelle storage chamber between the three-way valve and the coiled tube chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS

FIG. 1 illustrates a double-walled balloon catheter 1 with a porous walled outer balloon 2 disposed over an inner balloon 3 (which may be porous or non-porous) mounted on the distal end 4 of the catheter, and a reservoir 5 of dry micelles within the balloon catheter, disposed between the inner and outer balloons in the inter-balloon space 6. The dry micelles may be deposited in a reservoir without substantial additional media, or may be suspended in a dry hydrogel or other stabilized non-aqueous media. Within the catheter body, a first lumen 7 communicates from the proximal end 8 to the inner balloon 3, and a second lumen 9 communicates from the proximal end of the catheter to the space between the inner balloon and outer balloon. The porous outer balloon may comprise standard balloon materials such as nylons, block co-polymers (PEBAX), urethanes, PET, PE (HMWPE, LLDPE, etc.), with numerous pores in the size range of 100 to 5000 nm (0.1 to 5 microns), and may be compliant (elastomeric and conformable to the vessel wall) or non-compliant, while the inner balloon may be non-porous or porous, and also may be elastomeric and conformable to the vessel wall (or outer balloon) or non-compliant, though at least one of the inner or outer balloons is preferably non-compliant for devices intended for angioplasty. For angioplasty, the balloon is preferably nylon, about 20 microns thick (0.8 mil thick), with holes 2 to 5 microns in average diameter (measured on the inside surface of the balloon), up to 100 holes of 5 micron diameter or up to 200 holes of 2 micron diameter (or a mix of variously sized holes), an overall length of 20 mm and an expanded diameter of 3 mm. For other purposes, such as treatment of peripheral blood vessels, the balloon may range from 1.5 to 28 mm in diameter and 5 mm to 200 mm or more. The proximal end 10 of the catheter includes the Luer fittings 11 and 12, in fluid communication with the inner balloon and outer balloon, respectively, and reservoirs 13 and 14 which are filled with a physiologically acceptable aqueous solution such as saline, ringers solution or PBS, contrast media (Ultravist® for example) and distension media such as dextran, or other common pharmaceutical excipients such as polypeptides or polysaccharides.

In use, after preparing the balloon catheter and patient, the balloon catheter is navigated to a target site within the patient's vasculature and inflated in order to open an occlusion or restriction at the target site. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer balloon may be pressurized to several atmospheres of pressure, through the inflation lumen 9 aligned with space between the outer balloon and the inner balloon. This inflation will fill the inter-balloon space 6 with aqueous solution, exerting pressure sufficient to force an occluded target site open, while also creating an environment in which the micelle preparation in micelle reservoir 5 is reconstituted or and the micelles within the preparation are mobilized. During this step, a small portion of the micelles may be forced from the catheter, as illustrated by the diffuse mass 15 of micelles shown outside the outer balloon. After angioplasty (or stent deployment) has been performed to the satisfaction of the interventionalist, while maintaining pressure within the outer balloon (which can be accomplished by blocking the proximal Luer fitting with a small valve) to prevent back leakage of the fluid in the outer balloon, the inner balloon is inflated slowly to force the micelles and fluid out of the outer balloon through the porous wall of the outer balloon, as shown in FIG. 3. Pressure may be maintained for a minute or two (for coronary arteries) or for several seconds to a few minutes (in the peripheral arteries) in embodiments in which the balloons are non-perfusing (that is, the balloon does not allow blood flow to flow past the balloon while inflated), and even longer when the catheter system is embodied in a perfusing balloon system, to force many of the micelles from the reservoir 5 into the blood vessel, as represented by the diffuse mass of micelles 15.

In an alternative method of use, the inner balloon may be used as the balloon which is pressurized to affect the angioplasty or stent deployment as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the vascular surgeon will inflate the inner balloon through inflation lumen 7, leaving the micelle reservoir dry and intact. After angioplasty (or stent deployment) has been performed to the satisfaction of the vascular surgeon or interventionalist, the vascular surgeon will deflate the inner balloon, as shown in FIG. 5, and fill the outer balloon with sufficient aqueous solution to reconstitute the micelle preparation and mobilize or suspend the micelles. Some micelles may be flushed from the outer balloon at this point. As shown FIG. 6, while maintaining pressure within the outer balloon to prevent back-leakage of the fluid in the outer balloon, the vascular surgeon will re-inflate the inner balloon 3 to force the micelles and fluid out of the outer balloon through the porous wall of the outer balloon.

FIG. 7 illustrates a double-walled balloon catheter with the reservoir of dry micelles, in which both the inner balloon 16 and outer balloon 2 are porous balloons. Using the catheter of FIG. 7 configured with a porous inner balloon, the inner balloon may be used as the balloon which is pressurized to affect the angioplasty or stent deployment. In this case, the vascular surgeon will inflate the inner balloon 3 through inflation lumen 7, and leakage of solution from the inner balloon to the inter-balloon space 6 and the micelle reservoir will wet and mobilize the micelles. The continued pressurization of the inner balloon to accomplish the angioplasty or stent expansion will result in flow of aqueous solution through the porous inner balloon, through the space between the balloons and through the porous wall of the outer balloon, thus carrying micelles out of the catheter and into contact with the blood vessel walls.

Though pre-inflation of balloon catheters is not universally encouraged, the catheter maybe prepared, prior to insertion into the vasculature of a patient by filling the catheter with an aqueous solution, such as saline (or ringers solution, contrast media (Ultravist for example) and distension media such as dextran), and removing any excess solution from the catheter by drawing back fluid through the inflation port. This may include drawing a substantial amount of the micelles from the catheter into a syringe, mixing the aqueous solution and micelles within the syringe outside the catheter, and re-injecting the micelle/aqueous solution mixture into the catheter. The outer balloon may be filled for a period of time to allow reconstitution, and then drained through the inflation lumen (the process may result in drawing some of the micelles into the inflation lumen). If pre-inflation is performed by the vascular surgeon, any of the three methods described above may be used.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a balloon catheter with a micelle reservoir disposed within an inflation lumen. The catheter 17 includes a balloon 18, which has porous walls and is comparable to the outer balloon of FIG. 1, and an inflation lumen 19 in communication with the balloon volume 20 and an inflation port at the proximal end of the catheter. The micelle reservoir 21 is disposed with the inflation lumen 19, coated on the walls of the lumen or disposed in an enlarged segment of the lumen which can serve as a mixing chamber. Although illustrated in the inflation lumen near the distal end of the balloon, the reservoir may be located more proximally in the inflation fluid pathway, including the inflation lumen, the inflation pathway in the handle of the catheter, or in a separate chamber attached to the proximal handle, between the inflation lumen (or a secondary lumen) and the inflator used to inflate the balloon. In this device, flow of inflation fluid serves to wet and mobilize the micelles, which are then entrained in the inflation fluid and carried into the balloon, as shown in FIG. 9, and then out through the pores of the balloon with that portion of inflation fluid which escapes the balloon. In this embodiment, an inner balloon can also be provided as illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6, and inflated to force much of the fluid and entrained micelles through the walls of the balloon 18.

FIG. 10 illustrates a balloon catheter system with a proximally located micelle reservoir. In this configuration, the catheter 17 includes the catheter body 22, handle 23, and a balloon 18, which has porous walls and is comparable to the outer balloon of FIG. 1. The micelle reservoir 24 is disposed within a micelle storage chamber 25, in fluid communication with the balloon catheter lumen (within catheter 17) through the three-way valve 26. Opposite the micelle storage chamber 25, the three-way valve communicates with the coiled tube suspension chamber 27. The coiled tube suspension chamber is disposed between the three-way valve 26 and the balloon inflation device 28 (sometimes referred to as an endoflator). The inflation device is a finely calibrated syringe with a chamber 29, plunger 30 and plunger handle 31 operable to draw fluid into the chamber and force fluid from the chamber. The inflator includes a meter 32 which accurately displays the pressure of fluid, and the amount of fluid, injected into the balloon catheter. The three-way valve 26 is operable to selectively align the coiled tube chamber, and the inflator, with the drug delivery lumen within the catheter 17 or the micelle storage chamber 25. A second three-way valve 33 is disposed between the coiled tube suspension chamber 27 and the inflator 28. The inflator may be filled from a fluid source connected to the second three-way valve. A pressure relief valve 34 may be provided to avoid over-pressurization of the system. A filter 35 may be provided at the proximal end of the catheter, at the output of the micelle storage chamber, at the output of the three-way valve (between the three-way valve and the catheter body) or between the coiled tube micelle chamber and the three-way valve 26, to prevent any agglomeration of micelles from passing into the catheter and ensure that only small particles are passed into the balloon. The filter is preferably a static 0.45 micron filter, but may be as small as a 0.1 micron (100 nanometer). The micelle storage chamber 25 is preferable collapsible, so that withdrawal of the micelles after injection of reconstituting fluid is facilitated. The micelle storage chamber may be a collapsible pouch, a cylinder with an easily movable base, or a syringe which must be operated in tandem with the inflator to push the reconstituted suspension from the chamber as the inflator is used to withdraw the suspension. The micelle storage chamber may include a relief valve or vent to enable degassing and facilitate filling. The micelle storage chamber 25 is preferable transparent, so that complete reconstitution and emptying into the coiled tube suspension chamber can be visually confirmed. The coiled tube chamber has an inner diameter of 1 to 2 mm, and a length of about 300 mm. Limiting the diameter to 2 mm or less severely minimizes the mixing or osmosis of micelles into the inflator fluid, so that the concentration of the suspension in the coiled tube chamber is not diluted when inflator fluid is forced into the coiled tube chamber. The coiled tube chamber is coiled merely for compactness. The overall inner volume of the coiled tube is preferably 1 to 2 ml volume of micelle suspension. (The coiled tube suspension chamber and the micelle storage chamber are thus distinguished by their separate functions and distinct structure. The micelle storage chamber is used to store the micelles for extended periods prior to use (after manufacture, in shipping and storage for the shelf life of the micelles formulation in its lyophilized condition). The coiled tube suspension chamber is used intra-operatively, to briefly store the micelles suspension immediately prior to delivery through the catheter and balloon, and is sized and dimensioned to limit mixing of the suspension with the inflator fluid held in the inflator chamber, which it abuts at the boundary of the suspension bolus and the inflation fluid.)

Thus, FIGS. 10 through 13 show a balloon catheter system for delivery of drugs or therapeutic agents to a blood vessel from a dry reservoir stored at the proximal end of the catheter. The balloon catheter comprises a catheter body with a distal end adapted for insertion into the vasculature of a patient, a porous balloon disposed on the distal end. The proximal end of the balloon catheter has a lumen extending from the proximal end to the balloon. The proximal end is adapted for connection to a fluid source. The system also includes a storage chamber with a reservoir of dry drug delivery vesicles, and an inflator and suspension chamber in fluid communication with an inflator. These components are selectively aligned in fluid communication with each other through a valve operable to selectively connect the storage chamber to the suspension chamber or the lumen of the catheter. The inflator is operable to fill the storage chamber with fluid to reconstitute the dry drug delivery vesicles into a fluid suspension of drug delivery vesicles and draw the fluid suspension into the suspension chamber, when the valve is positioned to connect the storage chamber to the suspension chamber, and the inflator is operable to force the suspension from the suspension chamber through the catheter lumen and porous balloon to the blood vessel.

In use, the system of FIG. 10 is operated in several steps. After standard preparation of the catheter, which may include flushing the catheter with water or saline, the operator fills the inflator chamber with fluid, and fills the coiled tube suspension chamber with fluid. As shown in FIG. 11, the operator turns the three-way valve 26 to align the inflator and coiled tube suspension chamber 27 with the micelle storage chamber 25, and forces the fluid into the micelle storage chamber 24 by operating the inflator handle. The micelle storage chamber is depicted in a distended state, to illustrate that it has been filled with fluid. Filling the micelle storage chamber with fluid will reconstitute the micelles in the micelle storage chamber and create a suspension that can be moved into the catheter. Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the three-way valve 26 is maintained in position to align the inflator and coiled tube suspension chamber 27 with the micelle storage chamber 25, and the suspension of micelles in a small bolus 36 is drawn into the coiled tube suspension chamber 27. (The micelle storage chamber 25 is depicted in a collapsed state, to illustrate that its contents have been withdrawn.) Routine steps are then taken to ensure that no gas is entrained in the micelle suspension. Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the three way valve is manipulated to align the coiled tube suspension chamber and inflator with the catheter lumen, and the operator pushes the inflator handle into the inflator chamber to force additional fluid into the coiled tube suspension chamber and through to the catheter. The suspension that had been drawn into the coiled tube suspension chamber 27 (FIG. 12) is pushed, in a substantially intact bolus 36, into the catheter and thus into the balloon. If not already flushed of air, this step may serve to flush the catheter and balloon prior to insertion into the body and navigation into the blood vessel to be treated. When flushed, the catheter is inserted into the vasculature and navigated to the blood vessel to be treated. The operator continues to pressurize the inflator, and thus pressurize the balloon, as necessary to force the suspension, and the suspended micelle formulation, through the wall of the balloon and into body tissue surrounding the balloon. The delivery of fluid can continue until inflation fluid (from the inflator, which may be a contrast fluid) exits the balloon. The inflation fluid, or a flushing fluid delivered using the inflator, preferably includes contrast agent (iodinated radiocontrast agents, e.g. ionic agents like diatrizoate or metrizoate or non-ionic agents like iopamidol, iopromide, or iodixanol) so that the arrival of the inflation fluid at the balloon pores, and thus complete ejection of the micelle suspension, can be visually confirmed under fluoroscopy.

The method may be modified by injecting fluid into the micelle storage chamber from a syringe separate from the inflator, as shown in FIG. 14, which shows the micelle reservoir 24 within the micelle storage chamber 25, catheter 17, the coiled tube suspension chamber 27, the balloon inflation device 28 and its chamber 29, plunger 30, plunger handle 31, meter 32 and the second three-way valve 33 as in FIG. 10, and the additional syringe 37 may be provided, and connected to the micelle storage chamber through the four-way valve 38. In this system, the four-way valve 38 is positioned to align the syringe in fluid communication with the micelle storage chamber, then the syringe is operated to fill the micelle storage chamber with fluid and the four way valve is then turned to align the coiled tube suspension chamber 27 to the micelle storage chamber, and operation is thereafter performed as described in relation to FIGS. 10 through 13. Other means for filling the micelle storage chamber with reconstituting fluid may be used, included injection through a self-sealing membrane in the chamber wall, a needle port, or the like.

The proximal components of the system, including the micelle chamber, coiled tube suspension chamber, filter and three-way valve, may be provided in a single housing to facilitate handling and operation of the system. This is illustrated in FIG. 15, which shows the micelle storage chamber 25 and coiled tube isolation reservoir 27 and, optionally, the three-way valve 26 disposed in the handle 39. This configuration provides a conveniently operable system with the micelle reservoir stored within the handle of the catheter to be used to deliver the micelle formulation to the body through the balloon. The system is assembled after the micelle formulation is filter sterilized and deposited in the micelle storage chamber. After the micelle storage reservoir is installed in the handle and sealed to the valve, the entire catheter may be sterilized with standard ETO sterilization or other methods that would otherwise degrade the micelle formulation.

The system may be modified by placing the micelle storage chamber between the three-way valve and the coiled tube chamber, as shown in FIG. 16, which shows the micelle reservoir 24 within the micelle storage chamber 25, catheter 17, the coiled tube suspension chamber 27, the balloon inflation device 28 and its chamber 29, plunger 30, plunger handle 31, meter 32 and the second three-way valve 33 as in FIG. 10. In this system, the micelle storage chamber is positioned between the three-way valve and the coiled tube chamber. The inflator is operated to fill the micelle storage chamber with fluid and withdraw the resulting suspension into the coiled tube chamber, and operation is thereafter performed as described in relation to FIGS. 10 through 13.

Referring again to the system of FIGS. 10 through 13, the purpose of the coiled tube suspension chamber is to expose the suspension bolus to the pneumatic force of the inflation fluid in the inflator while minimizing mixing. Mixing can also be prevented by replacing the coiled tube with a second cylinder divided into chambers by a piston. In such an embodiment, a first chamber, in fluid communication with the three-way valve 26 and the micelle storage chamber 25, is filled with reconstitution fluid, and the second chamber, closest to the inflator, is filled with fluid and is in fluid communication with the inflator. Operation of the inflation to force the piston back and forth serves to force the reconstitution fluid into the micelle storage reservoir, and withdraw the resulting suspension into the cylinder, and thereafter force the suspension from the first chamber into the catheter with pneumatic pressure applied to the piston from the inflator. To accomplish the goal of flushing all the suspension, and also the goal of providing the contrast bloom that confirms complete delivery, the inflator provides inflation fluid or contrast through a bypass communication around the cylinder to the catheter lumen.

The inflation pressure and inflation duration, in combination with the amount of dry micelle formulation and volume of the reconstituted micelle suspension can be controlled to ensure a predetermined dose of micelles, and encapsulated drug, are delivered to the body tissue surrounding the balloon. Pressure applied by the inflator may be two to twenty atmospheres, and the inflator is preferably operated to apply 6 to 12 atmospheres of pressure. With suspended micelle formulation in the suspension chamber, and hole sizes of 2 to 5 microns in the balloon, application of 12 atmospheres for 60 seconds will deliver the entire 1 ml of the suspended micelle formulation through the catheter and balloon wall. The parameters may be adjusted to achieve 0.25 to 10 ml over the course of 10 to 120 seconds. The dosage of drug or therapeutic agent actually delivered can thus be controlled and predetermined with some certainty by controlling the amount of drug or therapeutic agent in the micelle formulation disposed in the micelle storage chamber. For example, if it is desired to deliver 2 mg of rapamycin to a diseased portion of a blood vessel, the micelle reservoir containing 2 or 3 mg of rapamycin can be stored in the micelle storage chamber, reconstituting the micelles with fluid to achieve a concentration of 2 mg/ml (that is, 1 ml if the micelle storage chamber contains 2 mg total rapamycin), withdrawing 1 ml of fluid into the coiled tube suspension chamber, and forcing the entire 1 ml through the catheter and balloon into the blood vessel walls.

The micelles used in the catheter systems described above may be formulated and lyophilized using known procedures, or procedures developed in the future. The micelle reservoir may be disposed within the catheter after formulation and lyophilization, or they may be installed in an aqueous slurry in the catheter or a catheter component, and lyophilized afterward, whereupon the catheter may be stored for extended periods of time prior to shipment, and wetted just prior to use in a patient, or when the balloon or balloons are inflated within the body of the patient. The micelles may be loaded with rapamycin or other therapeutic agents such as rapamycin analogs, ABT-578, zotarolimus, everolimus, biolimus A9, deforolimus (also referred to as ridaforolimus), temsirolimus, tacrolimus, pimcrolimus, nitric oxide synthase, C3 exoenzyme, RhoA inhibitors, tubulusin, A3 agonists, CB2 agonists, 17-AAG, Hsp90 antagonists, tyrphostins, cathepsin S inhibitors, paclitaxel, dexamethasone, ceramides, dimethyl sphingosine, ether-linked diglycerides, ether-linked phosphatidic acids, sphinganines, estrogens, taxol, taxol analogs, actinomycin D, prostaglandins, vitamin A, probucol, Batimastat, Statins, Trapidil, mitomycin C and Cytochalasin B.

The micelles used in the catheter are preferably formed from tri-block amphiphilic co-polymers of the form A-B-A where A is hydrophobic (PCL (Polycaprolactone) or PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) for example) and B is hydrophilic (PEG, or PEO for example), in which case the A block interacts with the micelle core and drugs encapsulated in the core and the B block forms the shell of the micelle. The micelles may also be formed of tri-block amphiphilic co-polymers of the form A-B-A where A is PLA, PDLLA, PPS, PPO, or Poly(amino acid)s and B=PEG or PEO. Tri-block copolymers of the form B-A-B and Di-block copolymers of the form A-B may also be used. Additionally, the micelles may be formed with a core polymer of PCL. The micelles are formed by nano-precipitation, and result in micelle sizes in the range of 40-120 nm diameter. Rapamycin or other drug particles can be loaded into the micelles by entrapment during the initial formation of the micelles. This will result in efficient loading of the drug particles, and a high percentage of the drug particles in the formulation slurry will become entrapped within the micelles. Drug loading may be accomplished by adsorption or migration of the drug into the micelles after formulation, though this is not expected to be as efficient as entrapment. The systems and methods described above can be employed to deliver other small drug delivery vesicles or delivery vessels in addition to micelles, particularly small dry vesicles that benefit from reconstitution immediately prior to delivery, such as nanoparticles and liposomes. Nanoparticles useful in the system include e.g. PCL, PLGA, PLA, PDLLA, PPS, PPO, or Poly(amino acid)s loaded with drugs. Liposomes can include dry powder liposomes made by lyophilization or dry-spraying. The various reservoirs shown in the various devices may be protected by filling the catheter or chamber or balloon housing the reservoir with nitrogen or inert gas.

After formulation, the micelles are freeze-dried, or lyophilized. The micelles may survive intact, or partially collapse into other structures. Nonetheless, upon re-wetting, a substantial portion of the micelle population will be mobilized intact. To enhance the survival of the micelles, lyophilization may be performed after a lyoprotectant or cryo-protectant, for example, sucrose, glucose, lactose, mannitol, trehalose, may be added to the original micelle mixture. After lyophilization, the mixture of the micelles, encapsulated drug within the micelles, and the lyoprotectant compound is particularly useful as the reservoir described above.

The micelles used in this system and method described above should be in the range of 40 to 250 nm (0.04 to 0.250 micron) generally, and in the range of 60 to 120 nm when formulated from the tri-block copolymer mentioned above (PLGA-PEG-PLGA or PCL-PEG-PCL). This size will result in a balance of efficient penetration of the micelles into the artery walls and sufficient space within the micelles to encapsulate a suitable amount of rapamycin or other therapeutic substance. Use of tri-block polymers such as PLGA-PEG-PLGA will provide micelles in the desired sized range. For micelle doses prepared prior to loading into the catheter, polydispersity index of the micelle population is preferably less than 0.2, as measured by a dynamic light diffusion test. This may be achieved by controlled formulation, filtration or centrifugation of polydisperse population of micelles.

For reconstitution of the micelles, an aqueous solution, typically an isotonic solution with or without additional lyoprotectant and/or pharmaceutical excipient, is added to the dry micelle formulation via syringe, catheter barrel, or tube. The suspension is further mixed, if required, by physical agitation, drawing back and forth into a syringe, or other means.

While the devices and methods described above have been illustrated in the context of coronary artery treatment and restenosis, they may be used in other vessels in the body, including the peripheral blood vessels, esophagus, ureters, urethra, sinus, valves, etc., and may be used to deliver a variety of drugs, therapeutic agents, especially hydrophobic agents which may be encapsulated in micelles or liposomes.

While the preferred embodiments of the devices and methods have been described in reference to the environment in which they were developed, they are merely illustrative of the principles of the inventions. The elements of the various embodiments may be incorporated into each of the other species to obtain the benefits of those elements in combination with such other species, and the various beneficial features may be employed in embodiments alone or in combination with each other. Other embodiments and configurations may be devised without departing from the spirit of the inventions and the scope of the appended claims. 

We claim:
 1. A method of treating a lesion in a blood vessel of a patient comprising the steps of: providing a balloon catheter system comprising: a catheter body characterized by a distal portion and a proximal portion; a first balloon disposed on the distal portion of the catheter body, said first balloon having a porous wall portion, said porous wall portion having pores with a diameter of about 0.1 to 5 microns; providing a reservoir of lyophilized micelles with rapamycin encapsulated in the micelles; providing a reservoir of aqueous solution suitable for mobilizing the micelles within the micelle reservoir; mixing the aqueous solution with the micelles to wet and mobilize the micelles, such that the micelles have a particle size of 40 to 250 nm; and delivering the micelles to the lesion, through the porous wall portion of the first balloon, by injecting the micelles into the first balloon and pressurizing the first balloon to a pressure of 6 to 12 atmospheres to force the micelles through the porous wall portion of the first balloon into the blood vessel.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: providing the balloon catheter system with a second balloon disposed on the distal portion of the catheter body, within the first balloon, defining an inter-balloon space between the first balloon and the second balloon; and accomplishing the step of pressurizing the first balloon by inflating the second balloon.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of: pressurizing the first balloon to perform angioplasty within the blood vessel.
 4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of: pressurizing the first balloon to perform angioplasty within the blood vessel, and thereafter inflating the second balloon to pressurize the first balloon and thereby force the micelles through the porous wall portion of the first balloon.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of inflating the second balloon to pressurize the first balloon and thereby force the micelles through the porous wall portion of the first balloon is accomplished while the first balloon is filled with the aqueous solution with the micelles.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of pressurizing the first balloon to perform angioplasty is accomplished to perform angioplasty at a target site within the blood vessel, and the step of inflating the second balloon to pressurize the first balloon and thereby force the micelles through the porous wall portion of the first balloon is accomplished to force the micelles through the porous wall portion of the first balloon at the target site within the blood vessel.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: pressurizing the first balloon to perform angioplasty within the blood vessel. 